Of “Likes” and “Pins”: The Effects of Consumers’ Attachment to Social Media

Marketing researchers and practitioners are showing substantial interest in social media communication, trying to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with this new cultural and social phenomenon. In this research, the authors examine social media as a new attachment phenomenon, positing likely predictive links to marketing-related social media behaviors. Researchers have demonstrated useful applicability of psychological attachment theory to a variety of other marketing contexts, including special possessions, places, brands, and services. Attachment to such varied focal targets has been shown to influence behaviors of interest to marketers. However, research to date has yet to develop a conceptualization or operationalization of attachment in the social media context. The authors seek to contribute to the literature in two primary ways: first, we provide a foundational definition of attachment to social media, and conduct four initial studies to develop a measure that meets desired reliability and validity standards. Secondly, in a fifth study, we use this validated measure to test its empirical usefulness in predicting social media behaviors in an applied retail setting. Taken together, the results are particularly valuable in demonstrating that attachment to social media is a distinct, measurable phenomenon that helps to explain various activities on social media platforms, including C2C advocacy and C2B supportive communication behaviors. Results reveal practical guidance for marketing managers wrestling with developing effective social media marketing strategies.